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Press release from 36th Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (27 July 2017) – In order to harmonise domestic legislation with the legal acquis of the EU, the Montenegrin Cabinet, at its held earlier today, passed the Draft Bill on Road Traffic. The aim of the new law is to eliminate shortcomings in the field of road traffic that are observed in practice and to establish a quality, safe, reliable and economically acceptable road passenger and cargo transport.

Cabinet also passed the Draft Law Amending the Customs Law. The adoption of the amended provisions will enable the implementation of the Convention on common transit and the Convention on Trade Facilitation, thus fulfilling one of the conditions for accession to the European Union. Amendments to the Customs Law create the conditions for the implementation of the new computerised transit system in the information system of the Customs Administration.

At today's session, the Cabinet discussed the project titled "Montenegrin Economy and NATO" and adopted the decision on establishing a coordination body for supporting companies in achieving economic benefits of NATO membership and ooperation with NATO members. By joining NATO, Montenegro has gained the right that its business entities can participate in the NATO market, that is, at tenders for procurement and services issued by NATO agencies and individual NATO members. The project envisages the coordination body to provide instructions for the Montenegrin businesses, so that thy can get all the information necessary for the codification of companies and products, entry into NMCRL - NATO master catalog references logistics, registration in different registers of suppliers of NATO agencies, obtaining certificates of qualification and business security, and the like. They will also receive timely information on the terms and conditions of the tenders.

Government also discussed the preparation of the programme of exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the offshore of Montenegro with the report of the strategic assessment of environmental impact and adopted a programme containing a plan for future activities in this field, in linewith the Law on exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons. The report's strategic assessment of environmental impact includes a description of all activities of exploration and production of hydrocarbons, as well as the assessment of their possible impact on the environment and human health. The report identified potential, significant environmental impacts and proposed protection measures relating to all activities of exploration and production of hydrocarbons, and proposed the additional measures needed to managing the entire process.

Government accepted the Contracton Transfer of Grants and Responsibilities between the State of Montenegro and the Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System, thus continuing the activities on the realisation of infrastructure projects through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance - Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The contract referrs to financing the project of connecting power systems of Montenegro and Italy (part I of the roject), as well as the construction of 400 kV transmission line Pljevlja - Bajina Bašta and related investments in the Montenegrin transmission network connected with interconnections to Italy and Serbia, significant for stable and reliable operation of the transmission system (part II of the project).

Cabinet adopted the Information on the need for Montenegro's accession to the Council of Europe cultural support fund - EURIMAGES. By passing the Law on Cinematography in 2015 and establishing the Film Centre of Montenegro in late 2016, preconditions have been created for the systematic and organised development of this segment of culture and greater investment in all parts of the cinematographic sector, thus accessing the EURIMAGES fund whose main goal is affirmation of the European film industry by promoting film production, distribution and cooperation in Europe.

Today's session established the Basis for negotiating and concluding the Protocol on cooperation between the Commission on Missing Persons of the Government of Montenegro and the Government of Croatia's Commission on Detained and Missing Persons. The Protocol will in a special way regulate mutual relations, obligations and manner of joint work of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of Montenegro and the Government of Croatia's Commission on Detained and Missing Persons. For the purpose of comprehensive and systematic monitoring of the problems of missing persons, the contracting parties will be exchanging information, data and documentation on persons who are missing as a result of the search of one or another party, as well as resolved cases of missing persons, citizens of Montenegro and Croatia.

Cabinet issued the Decision on sending police officers to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Members of the police Valentin Danaj this Decision will be sent to the peacekeeping mission for a year with the possibility of extension. Participation in peacekeeping missions meets international obligations, which are undertaken by signing and ratifying international legal instruments and strengthening the international position of the country.

Government passed the Draft Law on the Confirmation of the Paris Agreement by which Montenegro joins a group of 147 countries of the world - a signatory to this binding document. The aim of the agreement, which came into force on 4 November 2016, is to transform the world economy based on fossil fuels and to encourage investment in renewable energy sources to limit temperature growth to a level below 2 degrees Celsius, in relation to the pre-industrial level, ie. compared to 1990.

At today's session, the Cabinet passed the Draft Law on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the readmission of persons without a residence permit.

The session also addressed the Agreement on business cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Investment Development Fund of Montenegro regarding the further implementation of the ADMAS project. The main goal of this project is to help companies and farms in the agriculture sector and related sectors in Montenegro establish a system of more favourable access to credit funds, thus improving their market participation, as well as raising their business standards.